Obamacare’s Declining Popularity
More than three years after Obamacare was jammed through Congress and a year after it was upheld by the Supreme Court, support across America for the law is weak and in decline. As we near implementation of the so-called affordable healthcare overhaul, it’s clear that it is anything but affordable. The recent White house decision to postpone requiring businesses to provide insurance to their employees or suffer a fine is yet another sign that even the Administration recognizes its failure.
Obamacare’s popularity has been on the decline since before it was signed into law, but the nearer we come to implementation, the more its support erodes. In an attempt to sustain whatever support is remaining and continue the path toward implementation, the Administration has made numerous attempts to rally public enthusiasm and obscure the fact that this law is unworkable and harmful. In late March, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius began reaching out to companies, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, churches and other charitable organizations for donations to lessen the cost of implementation. The Administration even asked sports leagues, including the National Football League and Major League Baseball, for help promoting the law—a request that was declined by both. Most recently, the Administration was able to get the American Library Association to help inform people about their healthcare options.
These attempts don’t distract from the fact that support hasn’t improved since passage of the law in 2010. According to a recent poll from Gallup, 52 percent disapprove of the Affordable Care Act. That same study revealed that 47 percent expect the law to make our healthcare situation worse, while only 34 percent expect improvement. Three years after passage, and after all of the efforts that have been made to sell this program to the American people, one would have thought support would have increased. Instead, the more people learn about Obamacare, the less they like it.
The recent announcement that businesses have another year before they are required to cover workers without suffering fines reveals what we’ve known since the law’s passage. The Affordable Care Act is unworkable, unfair and unaffordable for hardworking Americans. According to the Treasury Department, postponing the previously-mandatory requirement for businesses comes in order to “simplify reporting requirements” and “provide time to adapt health coverage and reporting systems.” Whatever excuse or explanation presented does not prevent the American people from reaching the conclusion that the timing of this announcement is political. With midterm elections right around the corner, it is easy to assume that this decision was made in order to prevent voters from realizing the true cost and negative impact of the law.
Despite a small victory for businesses, the announcement doesn’t change the fact that individuals will still be required to purchase expensive insurance or be fined. This is both unacceptable and unfair for hardworking American families. If businesses are allowed to opt-out of providing insurance to workers for another year, individuals should be allowed to forgo purchase for another year as well.
The Administration’s attempts to misrepresent and downplay the harmful effects and high cost of Obamacare are not working. The American people cannot and will not be fooled. With each day we are reminded that the law is not worth salvaging and must be repealed. We must continue to work toward an alternative that protects future generations from high cost, low quality healthcare and that improves rather than hurts our economic recovery.